Game device.



' No.846,286. I PATENTED MAR.5,1907. H. n; DARLINGTON.

GAME DEVICE. I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1906.

4 BHEETS-BHBBT 1.

ATTORNEYS PATENTED MAR. 5

- j No. 846,286.

H. DLDAR LINGTONT GAME DEVICE.

- APPLICATION rmm 1:13.28. 1906.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS Tn: NORRIS PETERS cm. WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application filed March 28 1906. Serial No. 308,461.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HOWARD D. DARLING- ing the manner of connecting the side rails thereof. Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view TON, a citizen of the United States, and a taken substantially on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

resident of Norwood, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Game Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a game device which embodies in its construction a game-board provided with numerically-designated counting-spaces having I electrical connection with a signaling device and a cooperating expelling device adapted for throwing a ball, projectile, or other ob ject onto a table from a point remote therefrom, the object thrown having a contact portion to complete the electric circuits employed.

A further purpose of the invention is to provlde a simple, durable, economic, and effective device of this character which in practice will afford considerable harmless amusement and one wherein the utmost skill of the players in directing the objects will be brought into play, while at the same time a sufficient amount of chance is involved to enhance the interest of the game, but one wherein the object-expelling members may be quickly and conveniently adjusted for properly directing the objects onto the board.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the gameboard or table. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken about centrally through the table or game-board. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of the table with the cover removed. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of the signaling-bell and its circuit, showing the manner of connectingthe latter at the table. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the auxiliary supporting-table, having a plurality of object expelling devices arranged thereon. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section through the auxiliary table, the section being taken practically on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5, the expelling devices being removed. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of one corner of the supporting-table, show- Fig. 9 is a side elevation of one of the expelling devices. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 11 is a detail cross-sectional view taken practically on the line 11 11 of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a detail perspective view of the locking member or plunger. Fig. 13 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 13 13 of Fig. 9, and Fig. 14 is an elevation of one of the projectiles or objects.

As is especially shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, What I denominate a game-board or table 1 has a central figure 2 delineated on its surface designed for use in counting, and this figure is provided with a 'central section 3, (shown as a single space,) and said counting-figure 2 is surrounded by a plurality of auxiliary counting-figures 4, utilized for the same purpose as the central counting-figure. At the corners of the table, which table is preferably of rectangular form, corner-figures 5 are produced, also used for counting purposes. These counting-figures may be of any approved design and, in fact, may be properly termed counting-spaces. All of the said counting spaces or figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 are designated by numerals of relatively and proportionately increasing value, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The surface 6* of the table 1 is usually composed of canvas or an analogous fabric, suitably stretched upon a frame 6, comprising side bars or rails 7, preferably angular in cross-section, being provided at their ends with coupling heads or tenons 8, fitted in suitable ings 9, carried by vertical supporting-legs 10. A spring-wire or other yieldable backing 11 is stretched upon the frame 6 beneath the fabric covering 6, which backing is adapted to be tensioned through the medium of tension elements or screws 12, threaded through the bars 7 and through members or heads 13, which engage with the wire backing, as is especially shown in Fig. 3 of the drawin s. A lower frame 7 is also supported by the legs 1 O, which lower frame may be constructed in like manner to the upper frame 6 or otherwise, and a signaling member or bell 14 is sustained beneath the table 1 by said lower frame or other means, and the said si naling member or bell 14 is connected in an electric circuit A with a battery 15 by means of wires 16, leading to series of contact pieces or buttons 17,

mortises in corner sections or cast:

I 3, 4, and 5, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. The said circuit, which is normally open or broken, is adapted to be closed for ringing the bell 14 through the medium of a ball or other form of projectile 18, having a metal contact portion or base 19, adapted to rest upon and electrically connect the con tact-pieces 17 of any pair and within any one of the counting-spaces in a manner to be here inafter described.

In connection with the game-board or table 1 a supportingtable 20 is employed, situ ated adjacent to but suitably remote from the said game-board or table 1. The supporting-table 20 comprises an open frame 21. and a fabric covering 22, the said frame be' ing composed of rails or bars having a mortise-and-tenon connection 8 with cornerpieces 9 carried by legs 10, as in the instance of the table or game-board 1., the parts of the table being preferably identical in construction with the above except that the frame-bars 7 are composed of rod metal instead of angleiron. A plurality of sets or pairs of guide elements or rods 23 extends transversely of the table 20 from front to rear, which rods 23 terminally engage with bearing-rods or brackets 24, located upon the frame-bars 7, which brackets have ad justment longitudinally of the table and are held in adjusted position by set-screws 25.

A base member or plate 24 is slidably mounted upon each pair of rods 23, as is shown in Figs. 9 and 10 of the drawings, and each plate is provided at its rear end with an arcuate slot 27 and has journaled thereon by a central pivoting member or screw 28 a turn table 29, provided with vertical ears or lugs 30, and from the rear portions of each turntable 29 an arm 31 is rearwardly extended, operatively engaged with the plate 24 by means of a connecting member or link 32, disposed for movement in the slot 27 of the plate 24, upon which the turn table is mounted.

A11 adjusting-arm B is attached to and extends forwardly from each turn-table 29. Each arm consists of a pair of relatively spaced bars or plates 33, braced at intervals by spacing-blocks 34, having studs 35, which extend into suitable apertures in the plates 3. as shown in Fig. 13 of the drawings. The free end of each arm B is curved upward, forming a vertical member I), and horizontally forward, forming an elevated member I), which latter member terminates in a down.- wardly-extending stock 36.

An expelling member or lever C is provided for each turn-table 29, being located above the adjusting-arm B for the turn-table, as is shown in Figs. 9 and 10. Each expelling 1n ember'C usually consists of parallel plates 38, having their rear ends 38" widened for pivotal engagement with the pintle 37, passed through the ears or lugs 30 of the turn-table, and at the forward end of each expelling member C a preferably annular head 39 is formed, adapted to receive the projectile 18 to be thrown, and therefore the upper surface of this head is usually roughened.

A spring 47 is provided for each expelling member C, acting to violently force the said member upward and rearward and discharge the projectile carried by the said head, as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9. The spring 47 for an expelling member has bearing upon the upper face of the adjusting-arm B, associated with said member, and is coiled around the pintle 37 between the lugs 30 and has bearing at its upper portion against the under face of the expelling member, as is clearly shown in Fig. 9.

A keeper 40 is pivoted to each expelling member C to hang downward therefrom, and each keeper is provided with a head 41, adapted for engagement with a bolt 42, one of which bolts is mounted to slide in sundry of the spacing-blocks 34 in each adjusting-arm B, and each bolt 42 is normally pressed. to locking engagement with the head of a keeper 40 by a spring 43, suitably mounted in an adjusting-arm and adapted to press the bolt in direction of a keeper when its head enters the space between the members of an adjusting-arm B, as is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 9. Each bolt 42 is provided with a recess 42 in its under face at that end which is to engage with the head of a keeper, as is shown best in Fig. 12. A cord 44 or its equivalent is provided for each bolt 42, being attached to the outer end of the bolt, and the cords for such bolts are passed up over friction-pulleys 45, journaled in the adjusting-arms B between their members, and the upper end of each cord is attached to a trigger 46, one of which triggers is pivoted in the upper member I) of each adjustingarm B adjacent to the stock 36.

A stop-lever 48 in the form of a bell-crank lever is fulcrumed. at the junction of its members between. the lugs 30, and the upper end of this lever is provided with a cushion 49 to engage with the expelling member C and limit its expelling movement. An adjusting-screw 50 is passed through the horizontal member of the stop-lever 48 to an engagement with the guide-arm 31 of the turntable, whereby to adjust the stop-lever to vary the throw of the expelling member or lever C.

In operation, the tables having been placed in. desired relation to each other, the expelling member or lever C is set for action, as shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, the bolt 42 being in engagement with the head of the keeper 40. The object or projectile 18, which is preferably made of rubber, is now placed upon the head 39, and the expelling device as a whole-namely, the parts B and C-is adjusted for aiming by moving the device back and forth on the guiderods 23 and swinging the turn-table upon its pivot 28, after which the expelling member or lever C is released by operating the trigger 16 to withdraw the bolt 42 from the keeper 40. Upon.

such action the spring 47 will act to force the lever C upward, and thereby throw the projectile 18 onto the table or game-board 1. In

' weight of its contact portion 19, will tend to fall upon the board or table 1 with said contact portions 19 downward; but should the projectile initially not so land, its resilient nature will cause it to rebound from the surface of the table and then fall in proper position thereon.

In playing the game, if the projectile falls in proper position on one of the counting spaces or sections to electrically connect a pair of contact points or buttons 17 to ring the bell the player will be entitled to score double the numerical value expressed upon the space. For example, should the projectile fall upon the space 4, having the numerical value of sixty-five, and succeed in ringing the bell, the player will be entitled to double the number of sixty-five and will score one hundred and thirty; but should the projectile fall upon the same space, but in such manner as not to ring the bell, then the player will simply score sixty-five.

The total number'of points constituting a game may be fixed by agreement of the players, and it is evident that the skill of the players will be exploited in aiming the projectiles, and at the same time with the best of skill a degree of uncertainty is involved as to the result of the cast, which adds to anticipation and enhances the interest of the game.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a game device, a game-board having counting-sections thereon, contact-points at said sections, a source of electrical supply in circuit with the said contact-points, an alarm device in said circuit, and a projectile adapted to be thrown on the board, and havin a metal section adapted for engagement with the contact-points in the counting-sections to close the said electrical circuit.

2. In a game device, a game-board having countingsections produced thereon, sepaof electrical supply in circuit connection with all of said contact-points,a signalingdevice in said circuit, and a projectile adapted to be thrown on the board and having means for closing the circuit.

3. In a game device, a game-board having counting-sections produced thereon, separated contact-points at each section, a source of electrical supply in circuit connection with all of the said contact-points, a signaling device in said circuit, and an object adapted to be thrown on the board, the said object having a metal section for engagement with any two of the said contact-points in any counting-section to complete the electric circuit.

4. In a game device, the combination with a game-board provided with countin -sections, separate contact-points at each 0% said sections, a source of electrical supply in circuit connection with all of said contactpoints, and a signaling device in said circuit, and a projectile provided with a resilient body and a metal section, the said projection being adapted to be thrown on the board, and close the circuit in any counting-section by engagement with the contact-points of said section.

5. In a game device, a board having a counting-space, an electrical circuit including a signal and a pair of contacts disposed in said space, and an object adapted to be thrown on the board having a contact portion designed to engage and electrically connect said pair of contacts for operating the signal.

6. In a game device, a board having a plurality of pairs of contact members disposed therein, an electrical circuit including a signal and said contacts, a projectile adapted to be thrown on the board having a contact portion adapted to connect any pair of contact members for closing the circuit and operating the signal. j

7. In a game device, a board having counting spaces each containing a pair of contact members, an electrical circuit including said contacts and containing a signal, and a gamepiece adapted to be thrown onto the board and having a contact portion designed to electrically connect any pair of said contact members for closing the circuit and operating the signal. r

8. In a game device, a board having disposed upon its'surface a plurality of contact members arranged in pairs, a normally open electrical circuit including said contact members and containing a signal, and an elastic game -piece adapted'to be thrown onto the board and having a contact portion for electrically connecting any pair of contact members to complete the circuit and operate the signal.

9. In a game device, a board having connecting-spaces, contact members disposed in IIS said spaces and arranged in pairs, a signal, In testimony whereof I have signed my means electrically connecting the contacts name to this specification in the presence of IO With the signal to form a normally open cirtwo subscribing Witnesses. I c cuit, and a projectile adapted to be thrown HOWARD D DARLINGTON onto the board, said projectile having a contact portion adapted to cooperate with the l Witnesses:

pairs of contacts on the board for closing the l W. S. SHEPHERD,

circuit and operating the signal. G. C. DUKE. 

